What it Takes to Stop a Madman
by DragonEyeLiz
Summary: Kronos may be destroyed, but the demigods of Camp Half-Blood can't rest yet. Voldemort has just risen, threatening both the wizarding world and the gods of Olympus. Can our favorite heroes Percy Jackson and Harry Potter team up and rise to the occasion? Or will they fall to the most evil Dark wizard of all time? Rated T for possible violence. During HP book 5, after PJO book 5
1. Chapter 1

Percy P.O.V.

Annabeth and I held hands as we walked down to the lake. It had been a week since we had defeated Kronos, which meant we only had another week at camp before we went our separate ways for the school year. I knew the dinner bell would ring in a few minutes, and I wanted to spend all the time I could with Annabeth, my girlfriend (gods, it feels amazing to be able to say that).

"Seaweed Brain, dinner's about to start. Shouldn't we be walking toward the cafeteria, not away from it?" She looked up at me questioningly with those gorgeous grey eyes that make my heart melt. She turned around and pulled me in the opposite direction.

Several Aphrodite girls giggled when we walked past them and in to the dinner hall just as the bell rang. Annabeth and I grabbed plates piled high with barbeque, and walked over to the bronze brazier to scoop the juiciest piece of meat into the flames.

"For Poseidon," I muttered, and then turned to walk to my table. Annabeth sat down next to me. Technically, campers aren't allowed to sit at a table that isn't their own godly parent's, but maybe because of the war that just ended (or the fact that no one crosses Annabeth), nobody complained.

"Campers!" Chiron's booming voice echoed across the hall as he stomped a hoof to ensure we heard him. "The new cabins are coming along faster than I ever thought possible. But I'm not here to congratulate you. I'm here to announce a quest!"

Several campers groaned. Everyone had been enjoying the peace and quiet for the past week, and I could tell that next to no one was eager to get picked to go.

"I have already selected three campers. Perseus Jackson!"

I stood and walked obediently to the front, but on the inside, I'd had my fingers crossed that it would be someone else's turn.

"Prissy," muttered Clarisse when I walked past the Ares table.

"Annabeth Chase!" Chiron boomed again. At least I would get to spend some quality time with my girlfriend. If you call being chased by mosters halfway across the country 'quality time'. I may be new to this whole dating thing, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't.

Once Annabeth was standing next to me, Chiron called again, "Finally, Nico Di'Angelo!"

No one looked more surprised than the young son of Hades. I realized this would qualify as his first 'official' quest, and I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather have picked to come with me.

"There's a… special guest waiting at the big house to give you the details. Now, back to the building efforts…" Chiron trailed off onto a long list of announcements.

We shuffled out of the hall, but I don't think the campers were paying much attention.

"Look," Annabeth pointed at a figure, a woman, standing on the porch of the big blue house. I didn't know who the person was, but she was beautiful. She had long blonde hair that almost seemed to glow golden in the sun, and eyes that sparkled silver. Annabeth bowed, and I figured I had better do the same. Usually, when you meet a beautiful stranger, it's really a god.

"Welcome," she greeted us with open arms, as if this was her home and we were just visiting, not the other way around. "I have much to tell you. Come in," she gestured to the door.

We all gathered around the ping pong table. It isn't the most formal thing, but it's all we had.

"I am Hecate, goddess of magic. I will warn you right now, the quest I am going to send you on will be much, ah… longer than most of your other quests. Years longer, in fact. There will be danger and unfamiliar magic at every turn. If you want to back out, I completely understand."

I looked first at Annabeth, then at Nico. They both looked a little worried, probably about the 'years' part, but neither said anything, so I spoke up. "No, we're ready."

"Good." The goddess smiled, "I was hoping you would say that. Now, a little backstory about this new world I'm sending you to."

"Whoa, wait. Hold up," Annabeth interrupted. "What 'new world'?"

"I'm explaining that right now, dear. Please don't interrupt." Annabeth's cheeks turned pink, but she kept her mouth shut.

Hecate continued, "I use the word 'world' figuratively. I simply mean a place out of the reach of the gods." We must have all looked really confused, because she began to ramble, trying to explain, "You didn't just think that the world belonged to the Greeks, did you? Why, the world is full of different people: mortals, other gods, time lords, benders… It's all a bit messy, really. But I'm here to talk to you about one in particular: Wizards."

"Like the kind who wear the robes and the pointy hats and use wands and have really long beards?" Nico asked.

"Precisely the one," Hecate smiled, but Nico looked even more confused. "Smart kid. Anyway, when they're young, wizards and witches attend schools to learn their magical abilities. There are three main ones: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Drumstrang. I will be sending you to Hogwarts-"

"But we're not wizards!" Annabeth exclaimed.

"Not yet," replied Hecate mysteriously. "And didn't I tell you not to interrupt? Like I was saying, you three will be attending Hogwarts as 'foreign exchange students'. Did I mention it's in Great Britian? When you get there, you will be sorted into one of the four houses. Gryffindor, the brave; Ravenclaw, the wise; Hufflepuff, the loyal; or Slyhterin, the cunning. Your house will become like your family. You will spend down time together, attend class together, and basically live your whole lives with the others in your house."

Nico snorted at the name 'Hufflepuff', but Annabeth and I exchanged worried glances. I could tell she was thinking the same thing I was: What if we were in different houses? She would probably go to Ravenclaw, and I'd be stuck in Hufflepuff. Where would Nico go?

The goddess continued on as if she hadn't heard Nico. "Now for the actual quest. There is a boy by the name of Harry Potter, 5th year in Gryffindor. Your job is to protect him."

"That's it? Our whole quest is to protect one boy? Are you kidding?" Annabeth asked.

"Interrupting is very rude, girl. And yes, it is. But he is no ordinary boy, not that Potter. When he was young, a very evil Dark wizard murdered his parents. But when this man, He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, fired a killing curse on Harry, it didn't work. It backfired, and killed the man instead."

"He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named? Is that really what he's called?" I asked.

"Wizards also call him You-Know-Who. They fear even his name. You three of all people should know that names hold power. Listen closely; I will only say it once." She leaned in toward us, over the edge of the table and whispered, "Voldemort. There, I said it.'

"But, didn't you just say that he's dead? Why does this boy still need protecting? Why now? Why not before?" Annabeth asked.

"This is your last warning, girl. I hate people who interrupt." Annabeth rolled her eyes in exasperation. "But, you are right. It's because You-Know-Who is back from the dead."

"Back from the dead? Impossible!" Nico exclaimed.

"Hardly," Hecate countered. "Men who twist the world into madness can always find a way to bend the rules as well."

"Alright, say this all works out. We go to this… pig-face place and find the boy. What next? There's no way we can convince all those wizards that we can do magic, too." I said.

"That's where I come in. See, there are two ways a wizard or witch gains their magic power: through a magical ancestor, or through my blessing. I already have your wands here," she gestured to the corner of the room where three long boxes were sitting. They floated up toward the ping-pong table, and one landed in front of each of us.

"Go ahead, Percy. Open yours up."

I obeyed, and lifted the lid, revealing a beautifully crafted wooden… stick.

"Willow, twelve and a half inches. Core of a Pegasus wing feather. Swishy," muttered Hecate.

The handle of the wand was etched with what looked like waves, and the end was embellished with a pearl.

"Stand up, Percy," the goddess commanded, rising as well. She placed on hand on my right shoulder and the other on my head, and muttered a few words in ancient Greek. Instantly, I felt different, like I had just finished three energy drinks and had adrenaline coursing through my veins.

"Now pick up your wand. Just wave it around, see what happens."

I felt kinda stupid, but I raised the wand and swished it through the air. Sure enough, gold sparks came shooting out of the tip, almost nailing Hecate in the eye.

"Sorry, sorry…" I muttered.

"Sorry?" Hecate demanded. "That was brilliant! Your turn, Annabeth." She repeated the process, first with Annabeth and her 'olive, ten inches, flexible' wand with the core of a manticore hair, then with Nico and his 'black poplar, eleven and a quarter inches, bendy' wand that had a core of a basilisk fang.

"Alright, off we go! Oh, wait, I almost forgot." The goddess pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of her back pocket and handed it to me. "When you get there, just read this. And if you ever need to contact me, just send an Iris message." She plopped a bag of drachmas in my other hand. "Just tell the nice goblin at Gringotts to open up Hecate's vault when you need money, and try not to get yourself killed!"

Before I could even process what she had said, the world began to spin, and I blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

Nico P.O.V.

I finally felt my feet hit solid ground, and staggered a few steps before regaining my balance. We landed on a dark street lined with similar-looking houses. It was dusk, so there was very little light. I could barely make out the figures of Percy and Annabeth standing next to me.

"Man, that… whatever it was is even worse than shadow-travel," I said.

Annabeth ignored me and turned to Percy. Looks like I'm going to be the third wheel on this quest. "What does the note say?" she asked eagerly.

Percy scrunched his eyes in an attempt to read the scrawled handwriting. Whoever had written it had obviously done so in a hurry, and the messy cursive was murder on my dyslexic eyes.

"All it says is this: "Order of the Phoenix: Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place". At least, I'm pretty sure that's what it says. It's kind of hard to read…" he trailed off.

Annabeth walked down the street reading house numbers. "Eight, nine, ten, eleven, thirteen. Wait, thirteen? Where's twelve? That doesn't make any sense! Gods, what was Hecate thinking? She sent us to a place that doesn't exist!" Annabeth practically screamed. If the stereo in number eleven hadn't been turned up so loudly, I would've been afraid that the mortals could hear us.

Percy looked confused. "What are you talking about? It's right there." He pointed to the space between numbers eleven and thirteen.

Annabeth turned to face him. "No it's not. Have you gone crazy, Seaweed Brain?"

"I don't see it either," I said.

"I can see the door right there. I swear I'm not crazy. Why can I see it but you can't?"

Annabeth seemed stumped. She stood rooted to her spot for a good five minutes while she tried to come up with an answer to Percy's impossible question. I walked over and took the piece of paper out of Percy's hand and read it over as thoroughly as I could to make sure it really said 'Twelve'.

I looked back up at the empty space. _What if it's really above us? _I thought and glanced up. Empty air. _Below us?_ I glanced down like I expected a secret tunnel to magically open up and show us the way. I looked back up at the empty space and something extraordinary happened: A doorway appeared out of nowhere, pushing apart the space between eleven and thirteen. The house didn't look to be in very good condition. Grimy walls and battered windows followed the old door.

"Annabeth, I see it too! It just… appeared out of nowhere," I exclaimed.

"What?! Why can you guys see it, and I can't?" Annabeth asked, frustration etched onto her face.

No one spoke. Then, as if someone had turned on a light bulb in my head, an idea occurred. "Maybe…" I started timidly, "maybe you have to read the letter yourself." The moment it came out of my mouth, I regretted it. How could reading a letter have anything to do with being able to see a house? It sounded stupid. I held out the letter to Annabeth anyway, and she stomped over, snatching the piece of paper out of my grasp.

She stared at it intently for a few seconds, and then when she seemed satisfied, she glared hard at the space between eleven and thirteen, as if she could make the house appear out of sheer willpower. A moment passed, and Annabeth gasped. "I see it!" she exclaimed, clearly elated. "Thanks Nico! You're a genius." Percy snorted, mumbling something that sounded vaguely like "That's debatable," and I glared at him.

"So… what now?" I asked. "Do we just walk up and knock or…"

Annabeth marched up to the door and tried the knob. It turned easily, and the door swung open, revealing a dark, narrow hallway. Drawing her knife, she exhaled, and stepped into Number Twelve. Percy and I followed closely behind. We walked past dusty old doors and some suspicious-looking curtains before we heard them. Toward the end of the hall, the voices of many people carried out of an open door. The light that poured out revealed a staircase. Annabeth stopped short.

"We're not alone," she whispered ominously. We began walking forward again, more slowly this time, and Percy drew Riptide. The glowing blade cast even more eerie shadows on the walls.

The ceiling above us creaked and we heard footsteps that definitely weren't out own. "Shhhh," I whispered. "It sounds like someone's walking down the stairs."

Harry P.O.V.

The only downside to owning an owl is having to clean up after them. Including today, I had officially been late to four dinners because of cleaning Hedwig's cage. I picked up my wand and walked to the bathroom to wash my hands, then proceeded to the landing at the top of the staircase leading down to the kitchen.

I heard them before I saw them. A voice drifted up saying, "…walking down the stairs." It wasn't much, but I knew at once I had never heard that voice before. I pulled my wand out of my back pocket, thinking _Death Eaters. How did they find me? _The first person that came to mind was Snape.

I stepped down each stair slowly, trying not to make a sound. I kept to the shadowed side of the staircase so that I would see them before they saw me. Sure enough, a blonde girl flanked by two boys came into view. It took all my willpower not to exclaim out loud because, instead of holding wands like I expected, the girl was holding a wicked-looking knife, and the taller boy on the left was armed with a glowing sword.

"_Stupefy!_" I yelled, aiming my wand at the girl. The boy with the sword acted with lightning reflexes, stepping in front of the girl and raising his weapon as if to shield her from the spell. The red sparks bounce off the blade and shot strait back at me. Before I could even think to move out of the way, the spell hit me right in the chest and I blacked out.

**Sorry this chapter is shorter than the last one (and not very exciting), but I promise the next one will be longer/more action-packed! And pleeeeeeeease review, I want your honest opinion! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you SOOO much for reviewing! You guys siriusly made my day. BLUE virtual cookies for all of you!**

Annabeth P.O.V.

I held my breath, waiting for the red sparks to hit me and to see what would happen. I had no idea what '_Stupefy'_ was going to do to me. A split second before I would've met my fate, Percy stepped in the direct path of the spell, as if he were going to take it for me. _Aw, that's so sweet of you, Seaweed Brain, _I thought to myself. He lifted his sword, and the sparks bounced harmlessly off the Celestial bronze blade, sending them soaring strait back at the person on the stairs. He crumpled lifelessly onto the floor, one hand still gripped tightly on his wand.

A thousand things raced through my mind. Who was the boy? Was he dead, of just unconscious? Did anyone hear him?

"Harry, dear," called a feminine voice from the room where the light and voices had been coming before the boy, Harry, yelled. "Is everything okay?"

All of a sudden, I realized who the boy was. _Shit._

"Guys," I whispered as quietly as I could. "Guys, I think that was Harry Potter."

Percy's eyes widened with realization. The boy we were supposed to be protecting was unconscious, or worse, dead on the floor in front of us.

"Is he…" Percy started, but couldn't seem to finish the thought. We all knew what he meant, though: dead.

I looked at Nico. "No," he answered. "I could feel it if he were. There's something not quite right about his soul though…" he trailed off.

I didn't have time to ask what he meant by that, because the sound of footsteps echoed up from the stairs leading down into the room.

"Harry?" the voice called again, obviously distraught about not getting a reply. Seconds later, the bright red hair of a middle-aged woman bobbed up. Her eyes quickly found our faces, then our weapons, and she screamed bloody murder.

Two things happened at once. The moth-eaten curtains we had passed on our way in flew open, and a woman's voice from behind them began screaming. "_Intruders! Filth! Scum! Mudbloods!" _The noise made me want to drop my knife on the spot and cover my ears, but I knew better_. _Then, the sound of thundering footsteps told me that this woman's back-up would be arriving soon.

Sure enough, four men arrived on the stairs behind her. The two in the back had matching features: red hair, freckles and a long nose. _Twins? _ I thought to myself. _Then that woman is probably their mother. _The other two men were older. One of them had long black hair and the other had short, slightly graying hair. The long haired one stepped in front of the red-headed woman, while the short-haired one slipped past him and walked down the hall toward the screaming woman.

"Finally," he muttered, "some action." He whipped out his wand and pointed it barely inches away from my heart. I felt Percy flinch beside me, but I stood my ground.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" he asked.

Before I could answer, another man's voice, this one from upstairs called out, "Molly? Is everything alright down there?" More footsteps followed, and another red-headed man descended the stairs. He almost stepped on Harry's wand before exclaiming, "Molly! Look here."

"Arthur, dear, I'm a little busy at the mo-" she started before noticing what Arthur, who I had concluded to be her husband, was gesturing at.

Molly shoved past the long-haired man (who was still pointing his wand stubbornly at my chest) and grabbed me by the shoulders. Shaking me, she yelled, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM? IS HE DEAD?" Percy looked mad enough to swing his sword at the poor woman.

Arthur attempted to soothe her. "No, he's alive, I can feel a pulse. Stunned, by the looks of it."

Just then, yet another man descended the staircase. _Gods, _I thought, _how many more people are in this house?_ The man looked exactly like your stereo-type wizard strait out of a kindergartener's book. He was wearing royal blue robes and a matching pointed hat, and had half-moon spectacles balanced on his pointed nose. His white beard cascaded down the front of his robes, almost reaching his hips.

The man gently said, "Ah, welcome, my guests!" He seemed to realize Molly still had her hands firmly latched onto my shoulders, and that several people had wands pointed at us. He frowned. "Now, Molly, is this any way to treat our honored visitors? Someone ought to go prepare a room for them!"

Molly looked incredulous. "But… they… and Harry…. I thought…." She stuttered.

Arthur interrupted, "What I think my wife means to say is that we simply looked at the situation and assumed that these three, "he gestured to us, "were intruding."

"I just wanted to have a little fun," muttered the man who had pointed his wand at me. Molly slapped him and said something about being serious. To me, this man seemed anything but serious.

The bearded-man smiled. "Well, it certainly would appear that way, wouldn't it? Now, I thought I told someone to prepare a room." The two red-headed twins smiled mischievously at each other and volunteered.

"Good," said the bearded-man. "Since that's all take care of, how about some introductions? Come on now, don't be shy." He looked expectantly at me.

I glanced at Percy and Nico, hoping that they would read my expression. _Nothing but our names, _I was thinking. _That's all we are going to tell them. _"I'm Annabeth," I said, my voice steadier that I thought it would be.

"Nico," said the son of Hades beside me, giving a feeble wave of his hand.

"My name is Percy." Almost instantaneously, Arthur's face became stony and his hands clenched into fists, and Molly's eyes filled with tears. She began to weep loudly, and ran back downstairs.

I glanced sideways at Percy, wondering why the couple reacted like that. He gazed back at me, looking as confused as I felt. Everyone stood awkwardly for a few seconds before the short-haired man returned from closing the curtain.

"They're having some, ah, family issues." He didn't care to elaborate. "My name is Lupin, by the way." He turned to the bearded-man. "Professor Dumbledore, I didn't know you were coming back until the hearing. It's nice to see you." I could feel the two boys beside me shaking with the effort it took not to laugh at the man, Dumbledore's, name. I, however, was focusing more on 'the hearing'.

My thoughts were interrupted by Dumbledore. "No need to call me professor, Lupin. It's just Albus. Sirius, would you please escort Harry back to his room?"

The long-haired man next to me walked over to the stairs, picked up Harry in his arms, and began to climb the stairs.

"Good, good." Dumbledore turned to the man next to him. "Now, Arthur, would you please escort Annabeth, Nico, and Percy," Arthur flinched again at Percy's name, "up to their room?"

The red-haired man nodded curtly, then gestured us to follow him. We complied, walking up the stairs behind him. I still held my knife at the ready. Percy kept Riptide in sword-form, and Nico's hand didn't stray from the hilt of his Stygian Iron weapon. Even though we were 'honored visitors', I still didn't completely trust these people. At least, not yet.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Two chapters in one day! You're welcome.**

Harry P.O.V.

"I am the worst wizard in the history of the world," I said, throwing myself back down onto my bed and covering my face with my arms. "I'm a failure."

"No! Harry, you're one of the most amazing wizards I've ever met!" Hermione cried, in a desperate attempt to console me. I woke up about ten minutes ago, and Ron and Hermione explained to me how my own stunning spell had knocked me unconscious.

"I couldn't even stun a bloody guy with a sword! How can I take on a Death Eater, much less Voldemort" Ron flinched at the name, "if I can't-"

Ron cut me off. "It was just luck, mate. There is no way that would really happen."

I stood and began to pace the small bedroom. "But what if-" I started again.

"Harry, it's over now." This time, it was Hermione who cut me off. "The best thing you can do is focus on your hearing. You only have a couple days."

"I don't want to focus on my hearing!" I shot back at her. "I want to know why those intruders came here! And I want to know how they made my spell backfire on me! If I'm going to be prepared to fight Voldemort" Ron flinched again, "then I need all the information I can get."

"Just think, Harry!" Hermione was on her feet now, too. "Your hearing-"

It was my turn to cut someone off. "I don't want to think about the stupid hearing! I'm going to pay those _intruders _a visit, and get some answers!" I stormed out, not bothering to close the door behind me.

Percy P.O.V.

After Arthur showed us to our room, we unpacked the few belongings we were carrying when Hecate teleported us out. All I was had in my pockets was Riptide, my sword, my wand, and the bag of drachmas the goddess of magic had given me. I set them side by side on the only small dresser in the tiny room. I carefully inspected my surroundings. Three beds had been crammed hastily together. A small, open window on the far wall was letting in a cold draft. I wondered where the air came from if the house had disappeared from the street again. The dirty beige walls (or at least, I assumed that they were beige. Maybe once upon a time they were white, but had collected enough dirt to look brown) were in desperate need of a paint job.

Nico broke the silence. "So… what now?" We both looked at Annabeth.

"What? Have you guys elected me leader of the quest or something?" she asked.

"Well," I replied, "Chiron never said who was in charge and you're definitely the smartest person in this room right now, Wise Girl, so yeah, we have." I walked over to put my arms around her.

"Aw," she said and kissed me on the cheek. "Well, in that case… I call the bed by the door!" Annabeth busted out of my arms and vaulted onto her bed.

I shrugged. "Dibs on the middle!" I called

Nico rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "Thanks for leaving me the bed next to the cold window. I really appreciate it. I have the best friends ever."

Annabeth and I both laughed. "You should've thought faster, Death Breath," said Annabeth.

I walked back over to the dresser where I had left the bag of drachmas. I opened the pouch, dumped out the coins, and began to count how many times we would be able to iris message anyone. I stacked the drachmas into stacks of five. After the fourth stack, I came across a piece of metal that definitely wasn't normal demi-god money.

"Hey, Annabeth, you've gotta see this," I said, turning over the coin in my hands. It was silver, the exact same shade as Hecate's eyes. One side was blank, but the other had a pair of matching torches on it.

"Annabeth walked over curiously and I handed her the silver coin. "Well, the torch is one of Hecate's symbols. Maybe it's just a special keepsake she gave us?"

I frowned. "Yeah, maybe," I replied half-heartedly. Hecate did seem a little… quirky, but she must've had a reason to give us the coin, just like the letter. Maybe we have to think outside the box again.

"Do you think we should IM her?" I asked.

"Sure. Grab a drachma, let's go find the bathroom."

Annabeth P.O.V.

It took several minutes for Percy to position the water flowing from the faucet into a rainbow good enough to contact the goddess. I threw the golden coin into the mist.

"Oh, Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering. Show me Hecate," I chanted.

The mist shimmered, and after a few seconds later, the goddess was visible. She was standing in a dark purple room filled with grand armchairs and fluffy beanbags. But the assortment of furniture wasn't the weirdest part of the room. Glass orbs, jars filled with everything from orange powder to eyeballs, and candles that would spark occasionally filled the small space. Hecate finally turned around and noticed us, holding something that looked vaguely like a cauldron. She seemed startled to see us.

"You know," she started, "when I said you could IM me anytime, I was really expecting a few more hours to pass."

Percy stared transfixed at the scene before him. "What are you _doing?_" he asked open-mouthed.

Hecate's face brightened, as if people didn't normally ask that question and was eager to explain. "Well, you see, today is potions day! I'm working on a new one that can turn men into frogs. I came up with the idea myself! Unfortunately, my attempts haven't been going exactly like I planned… er, they really haven't been going at all like I planned…" she trailed off, gesturing at the space beside her. A cage full of everything from zebras to turtles was sitting in the space beside her.

I gasped. "Lady Hecate, you couldn't possibly be trying this on real men!" I flashed back to my time on Circe's island, where I witnessed Percy being turned into a guinea pig. He must have been remembering the same thing because, when I glanced over at him, his face was paralyzed in a horrified expression.

"Of course not! That would be crazy! And do I look like a crazy person?" she asked. I had to resist the urge to say, _Yeah, actually. You do. _

She explained further, "Right now I'm just using monkeys. They're close enough, right?"

Percy seemed to have finally come out of his trance. "Right… anyway, as interesting as your potions are, we have a question." He held up the silver coin. "What's this?"

"That, young hero, is the key to your wealth," she said, as if that explained everything.

"Okay…" Percy tried again, "And that means…?"

In the background, something cracked loudly. "Oh!" Hecate exclaimed. "Sorry! I have to go. If I don't put the dragon toenails in right now, the potion will be useless!" She started grabbing random jars out of the air and inspecting the contents, before deciding that each jar she was holding didn't contain what she was looking for. "Goodbye!" She waved a hand through the mist. At the exact same time, the bathroom door opened.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry, I didn't have time to go back and edit this through like most of the other chapters! If there are mistakes, I'll go back and fix them later tonight. Also, if you have any suggestions/ requests of things you want to see happen in the storyline, or if you have any questions, feel free to PM me!**

Harry P.O.V.

I kicked open the door to the room of our 'guests', not bothering to be discrete. In fact, I used that one kick to release some of the anger pent up inside of me. Fred and George were right a few days ago when I went off on Ron and Hermione; keeping my frustration bottled up really isn't healthy.

The door swung open easily. I glanced around, expecting to see three pairs of surprised eyes staring back, but the room was empty. The only indication that they had even set foot in the area was the assortment of strange objects resting on the dresser. My eyes landed on several stacks of gold coins.

"Those don't look like galleons," said a voice behind me. I whipped around so quickly my neck cracked.

"Ron!" I exclaimed. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" He and Hermione had entered the room shortly after me.

"He _is _right, though," Hermione said, her focus still on the strange coins. "What are they?"

Ron and I gaped at her. "You don't know?" I asked in disbelief.

"But you know everything!" said Ron, disbelief evident on his freckled face.

Hermione ignored us. "What do they say? It looks like another language… Hebrew, maybe?"

I turned my attention to the other objects on the dresser. A wand lay next to the pouch that I assume once held the strange-looking coins. The wooden rod was beautifully crafted, with patterns on the handle that resembled ocean waves and an inlaid pearl at the end. Next to the wand was a shiny, golden… pen. I cautiously picked it up, handling it as though it would explode at any second. My fingers felt something rough on the underside, so I flipped it over.

I gasped, "Hermione, look! The same writing that was on those coins is on the pen, too!" I cried in disbelief.

She snatched the writing tool from me and inspected it closely, comparing it to the coins. "You're right!" she said several seconds later.

"Er, guys," Ron began with almost a nervous tone in his voice, "I don't think the visitors will really like us going through their stuff. What if they walk in and we're still here?"

His question brought me back to reality. I tried as best as I could to make the dresser look exactly the same as it did when we walked in, and then proceeded out the door. "Where could they be?" I muttered to myself. A few feet farther down the hallway, a sliver of golden light escaped from underneath the door.

I turned to Ron, and pointed at the door ahead of us, asking, "That's the bathroom, right?"

His gaze followed my pointing finger. "Yeah, but I don't know if it's a good idea to go in there. What if someone else is using the loo?" he replied, but I had already walked off.

I opened the door with my hand instead of my foot, this time, and looked through the opening expectantly. Sure enough, three pairs of strange, startled eyes met mine. My gaze finally landed on the tall black-haired boy who stunned me.

In an instant, I felt all of my anger course through my veins like adrenaline, and I stormed over to the boy. He was several inches taller than me, but I wasn't going to back down. I wanted answers.

"You," I demanded, "Who are you and why are you here? Are you a Death Eater?" I grabbed his left arm and flipped it over. No mark. Then again, I was 99.9% positive that Malfoy was one, too, but I've never seen his mark. "How did you find us? Was it Snape? How did you make my stunning spell backfire?" I kept walking toward him, and he kept backing up. However, his face held no fear. He looked more calculating, as if he were biding his time and looking for the best way to take me down. "Did you use the shield spell?" I continued to fire questions at him, until his back hit the wall behind him. Still, he said nothing, which frustrated me further.

Percy P.O.V.

I felt my back make contact with the wall. I was weaponless and trapped. If I wanted to escape, I would have to fight three armed and trained wizards in close proximity, which could be disastrous if any of them tried to cast a spell.

The boy, Harry, continued to bombard me with questions faster than I could answer if I had been willing to in the first place. Instead, I remained silent, waiting for someone else to take the attention off of me.

My gaze never left Harry. We both had green eyes and dark hair, though his stuck up in weird places (unlike mine, which is always perfect). He had a scar on his forehead above his crooked glasses in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Eventually, the red-haired boy who had walked in behind Harry broke the silence. "Er, Harry, this is-" he paused, trying to remember our names, "Annabell, Nick and Peter, I think."

"Idiot," muttered the bushy-haired girl next to him. "Their names are Annabeth, Nico, and Percy!" The red-head flinched at my name, and I realized he must be Molly and Arthur's son. "My name is Hermione, and this dolt is Ron," she gestured to the boy next to her. "You, er, probably already know Harry…" she trailed off.

Harry was the one to break the silence this time. "Who are you, and why are you here?"

Annabeth answered, "Hermione just told you who we are. We're here because, um, Dumbledore sent for us. He said… he said that he wanted representatives from our c-school," she almost said 'camp', but caught herself, "and now we're here to help you fight Voldemort." Ron flinched again.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. _Way to go, Wise Girl, _I thought to myself.

Harry continued, "Then I guess you're not Death Eaters." He turned his attention back to me, asking, "How did you get my spell to backfire?"

"I just…" I started. I honestly had no idea why the sparks rebounded and hit Harry. My turn to make something up. "I think my sword did it. I guess it's enchanted or something." It wasn't as perfect of a story as Annabeth's, but it was good enough. Until Hermione butted in.

"Really?" she asked eagerly. "What enchantments?"

"Er, sorry, I don't know. It was a gift from my dad, but he never told me." The bushy-haired girl looked thoroughly disappointed at my reply.

"And where is this mighty sword?" Harry continued to interrogate me.

I reached into my pocket and wrapped my hand around my faithful pen. It really pays to have a weapon that can reappear in your pocket. I pulled Riptide out, and Ron gasped.

"Impossible!" he exclaimed. "We just saw that on your dresser a few minutes ago!"

"What?!" I practically yelled. Hermione slapped the freckled boy. "You were snooping through our stuff?"

"Where's the sword?" Harry asked, as though Ron hadn't just revealed to us that they had been in our room.

"Oh, I'll show you the sword," I muttered. I practically ripped the cap off of Anaklusmos, and the blade sprang to full height.

Ron screamed like a little girl when the glowing metal swung close to his face. "Bloody hell!" he yelled. "Watch where you point that thing!" He jumped behind Hermione, using her as a human-shield.

To add to all the chaos, two loud _CRACKS! _rang through the room, and the twins we had seen earlier materialized.

"Fred! George! What are you doing here?" Ron asked.

"Well, we just heard the little girly scream of our poor little brother, and wanted to see if Ickle Ronnykins was in trouble," said the one on the right.

The left one said, "I'm sure there was someone fifty miles out from here who didn't hear you."

Fred and George seemed to notice me for the first time.

"Wicked sword!" exclaimed the one on the right. "I'm Fred, the good-looking twin"

The other twin shoved past him. "I'm George. The even better looking twin. Why've you got that sword out?"

"I was, uh, just putting it away," I said, unsure of what had just occurred. I placed the cap on the tip of Riptide and it shrunk back down to a pen.

"Blimey!" said Fred. I almost laughed. I thought only pirates said 'blimey', not British people. Geez, Europe is weird. "Oi, Georgie! Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" They smiled mischievously at each other and raced out.

I walked past Harry, feeling dazed and confused. Looking at Ron, I asked, "We're cool right?"

He replied, "Er, yeah, I guess so."

**Next chapter: the demi-gods go to Diagon Alley! Are you as excited as I am? Review, please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So, I've been looking back on the past few chapters, and most of it's in the demi-gods' P.O.V., so after this chapter, I promise I'm going to start using the Golden Trio more! **

Percy P.O.V.

After a few days of living at number twelve, I was starting to get bored. So far, our daily routine went something like this: wake up, eat, scrape mold, yell at Kreacher (the house elf, who loved reminding us that we are 'filthy half-breeds'), eat, scrape mold, dust, eat, yell at Kreacher, sleep. The only remotely exciting thing that happened was Harry's hearing. Apparently, he had saved his cousin's life from some dementy-whatzits, and the Ministry (the secret wizard government) wanted to expel him from Hogwarts.

The only nice change from camp was the lack of dreams I'd been having. Despite having to get used to the fact that British time was a few hours ahead of New York time, I had never slept better. Until tonight.

I was running down a long, dark corridor. My forehead was pounding so painfully, I thought it would explode. Breath came in short gasps, as if I had just run a marathon. I could hear thundering footsteps behind me, but when I glanced over my shoulder, no one was there. An ancient voice echoed through the hall, taunting me. "Come to me, hero. You have cheated me, and I have come to collect my reward." At that moment, I ran head-first into a metal door. I tried the handle, but it wouldn't budge. Locked. The footsteps behind me slowed to a stop. Chattering noises, like bone clicking on bone, erupted all around me, and out of the darkness, skeletal hands reached out to me, pulling on my clothes, my hair, my arms, my face. Then, I blacked out.

"Rise and shine, dears! Book lists are finally out! Strange, the owls came much later than last year," Molly Weasley's head bobbed excitedly out from behind the door. Annabeth groaned, and rolled out of bed, landing with a huge _THUNK! _on the wooden floor. Nico groggily trudged over to the red-headed woman and took the three envelops from her outstretched hand.

"I'll be taking you three to Diagon Alley in about an hour," Mrs. Weasley said before closing the door.

Annabeth picked herself up off the floor. "Diagon Alley?" she asked. "What the heck is that?"

Nico opened his letter. "Um, maybe it's a wizard shopping mall." He handed the other letters to Annabeth and me. I slipped my finger under the wax seal and ripped it. The letter inside read:

Fifth year students will require:

Uniform:

Three sets of plain robes (black)

One Plain pointed hat (black)

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Course Books:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 5) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard

Student will also need:

One wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also being an owl OR a cat OR a toad

Annabeth grabbed her orange t-shirt, a pair of jeans and a hairbrush and set off for the bathroom. I slipped off the pajamas Harry had loaned me, and grabbed pulled a camp shirt on over my messy hair. Even though he hadn't quite forgiven me for accidentally stunning him (though I thought snooping through my stuff made us even), we were starting to become pretty good friends.

The door opened again, and I hastily yanked on my jeans. "Whoops," muttered a surprised Annabeth, who immediately put a hand over her eyes.

"You can look, we're decent," I said.

"That's debatable," she replied. "Have you even tried to comb your hair this morning?" She walked up behind me and ran her fingers through my hair, trying to get the knots out. Nico made kissy motions in the corner next to his bed, and I rolled my eyes.

The door flew open. "Did you hear!?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "My little Ronnie is a _prefect! _Oh, this is just wonderful! Breakfast in ten, dears. I'm making celebratory pancakes!" She rushed off, not bothering to close the door.

"What's a prefect?" I asked. Nico shrugged.

Annabeth P.O.V.

I guess being a prefect is a pretty big deal, because Mrs. Weasley had even bewitched a candle that would yell, "Congratulations, Ronnie!" every thirty seconds.

The proud mother had ushered us back to our room, telling us to meet her at the front door in five minutes. Percy pocketed Riptide and the pouch of drachmas, and Nico and I strapped on our weapons. We all took our wands somewhat reluctantly, knowing that they would just get in the way if we had to fight, but also knowing we would need them to blend in.

We arrived downstairs three minutes early, which seemed to really surprise Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "You're… you're early!" she said in disbelief. "Usually I have to practically corral the boys out the door, and we're still twenty minutes late. Well, off we go."

"Er," Nico tentatively began, "Where exactly are we going?"

"The Leaky Cauldron," replied Mrs. Weasley, as if that explained everything. She must've seen our confused looks, so she added, "The entrance to Diagon Alley, naturally. Haven't you ever been?"

"We've never exactly been outside of America before," I said. Nico muttered something about accidental trips to China under his breath.

"Oh, I suppose I forgot," she said, giving Nico a funny look. "Well, there's a safe house a few miles away, we can use the Floo Network safely from there.

Nico P.O.V.

The Floo Network worked a lot like shadow travel, just with more fire and spinning, and less darkness and feeling like your face is ripping off. Mrs. Weasley ran hurriedly through the little tavern and out the back door, ignoring any of the customers' attempts to engage in a conversation. By the time we caught up with her, an arch way was opening through the solid brick wall.

"Hurry up, dears," she urged. "We haven't got all day. I'm planning a surprise party for Ron and Hermione tonight, they'll just love it!" I almost told her that I was pretty sure Ron wouldn't like it at all. I could hear Fred and George poking fun at him out in the hall in the morning. She led us through the crowd, dodging left and right, and walking so briskly I had to run to keep up. Many of the witches and wizards looked school age, following parents, running in stores and returning with armfuls of books.

The red-haired woman stopped short when she reached a majestic marble building. Huge Greek-like columns lined the entry. Fewer people were rushing in and out of this door than of the stores on either side.

"This," said Mrs. Weasley, "is Gringotts, the wizarding bank. I trust you have an account?" she asked.

"Of course!" replied Annabeth, a little too quickly, and she marched right in.

The man behind the counter was anything but attractive. He had fat, stretched-out lips, tiny scrunched up eyes, and large ears that stuck out from his balding head.

"Gringotts is run by goblins," Mrs. Weasley whispered to Percy, who looked repulsed by the creature's appearance.

"Name?" the goblin asked in a very bored tone.

"Annabeth Chase," replied my blonde friend.

"And does Miss Chase have her key?" the goblin asked again, with no change in his monotone voice.

Annabeth panicked for a moment. "Er, we're here to open Hecate's vault," she tried.

"And does Miss Chase have her key?" the goblin asked yet again, still with no change in his speech.

Annabeth stood rooted to her spot for almost a minute, brows furrowed in concentration, when she looked up so suddenly, it made Percy jumped three feet in the air.

"Percy!" she exclaimed. "Don't you remember what Hecate said?"

"Who is Hecate?" asked Mrs. Weasley. Annabeth ignored her.

Realization dawned on Percy's face. "That is the key to our wealth," he said slowly.

"Give it here!" Annabeth said, reaching for the pouch.

"Calm down! I'm looking for it," Percy replied, narrowly dodging Annabeth's outstretched arms. After digging in the pouch for the one silver coin, Percy held it out to Annabeth, who lunged for it, as if it would disappear before she could get her hands on it.

"Here you go," she said to the goblin, setting it silver piece on the counter with a _clink!_ The goblins tiny eyes widened and he ran out from behind the counter.

"Yes, of course," his voice sounded much more interested as he picked up the coin in awe. "Follow me," he beckoned. He pushed open a door in the marble wall behind his counter that was impossible to see unless you were looking for it. The goblin ran through the corridor, twisting and turning where the halls forked into two or three separate paths. I tried keeping track of the route we were taking: right, left, left, right, center, right, left, right, center, left. I lost track eventually, and just focused on keeping up with the goblin.

Suddenly, the corridor dead-ended. "Here we are," the goblin said.

"Uh, where exactly are we? That's a solid wall blocking our way," he said, knocking on the marble to prove his point.

"I bet Miss Chase can figure it out," he replied turning to Annabeth, who was already staring hard at the rock.

"There!" she finally said, pointing to something tiny etched into the marble. "It's the twin torches on the back of the coin," she explained.

"Correct," said the goblin, pressing the coin into the wall. The rock swung open easily, revealing a mountain of blinding gold, silver and bronze coins.

**I had no idea Diagon Alley was going to take two chapters, but I'll finish it up tomorrow, and then it will be time to go to Hogwarts! Review, please.**


	7. Chapter 7

Annabeth P.O.V.

I giggled as the barred owl perched on my shoulder nipped my ear affectionately, begging for another ice cream cone.

"Haven't you had plenty? Mr. Fortescue was kind enough to give you two already," I told the young creature. Her small black eyes stared innocently back at me.

"Please," said the smiling man, "call me Florean. And your very generous tip should more than cover it!" He ran back into his parlor and reappeared a second late holding yet another cone. The owl cooed with happiness when she received her treat.

After the goblin, whose name we found out was Kog, opened our vault, we each filled pouches with handfuls of the golden coins (galleons), and even insisted that Mrs. Weasley take some for her family. We ran around Diagon Alley for several hours, spending time searching for books, fitting our robes, and even choosing my new pet. The still-stunned woman had run off to buy banners and decorations for her 'perfect prefect party', leaving us with Mr. Fortescue at his ice cream parlor.

"What are you going to name her?" Nico asked, gesturing to my owl.

"I'm not sure," I replied, stroking her silvery-white and brown feathers. "I want it to be something meaningful." I though hard, but no answer came to me.

"Well," said Percy, standing. "Thank you so much Mr. Fortescue- er, I mean Florean," he corrected himself when the man raised an eyebrow.

"It really was delicious," I said, also standing, which seemed to unsettle the owl on my shoulder. "We really ought to go find Mrs. Weasley now, it's getting late."

Nico got to his feet as well, muttering a 'thanks' in Mr. Fortescue's general direction.

The crowd had thinned out, and the sun was beginning to set. We wandered the streets for a few minutes, glancing in store windows to see if we could catch a glimpse of the red-headed woman.

Every now and then, we would pass a strange figure, wearing a dark cloak with a hood pulled over its face so that only its mouth was visible. The weirdest thing wasn't the person's fashion; it was the way it moved. It seemed to glide, or maybe slither across the pavement rather than walk. At first, it didn't bother me, but as we passed one of the figures, it turned to us and sneered, "_Heroessss._"

I stopped short. "Um, I think we haven't tried that way yet," I said, pointing to a street called Knockturn Alley. By working backwards, I had reached the conclusion that the hooded things were all coming from down that street. I led the way, keeping my hand on the hilt of my knife. The sun had set so far that shadows were overtaking the alleyway. Suddenly, five figures appeared out of the darkness ahead of us. I turned quickly to walk- or run- away, but I almost ran right into five more.

"_Look around heroessss,_" hissed the one in the front. "_You're sssurounded._"

"Dracanae!" I screamed, driving my knife strait into the stomach of the first one. The boys responded immediately, Percy summoning Riptide and Nico drawing his Stygian Iron sword. The dracanae threw off their cloaks, revealing their snake-like legs and assorted weapons. Knives, spears, and swords flew at us from every direction, but we stood back to back, fighting as a trained team, dodging, stabbing, and parrying blows.

When nine of the ten snake-women had been reduced to dust, the remaining dracanae threw down her dagger with a mixture of defeat and disgust.

"_You will losssse_," she hissed before I sliced her head clean off.

An instant later, a relieved voice drifted down the road. "Merlin's beard!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley. "What the hell are you lot doing down _Knockturn Alley_?" she pronounced the last two words as if they were cursed.

"Er, just looking for you," Percy replied quickly.

"Well," said a still flustered Mrs. Weasley as she led us back down Diagon Alley, "we'd better hurry back, or I won't have time to bake the cake!"

Nico P.O.V.

The best part of Mrs. Weasley's 'perfect prefect party' was definitely the cake. The rest I could've done without. Basically, Percy Annabeth and I sat in the corner quietly and ignored Lupin's futile attempts to engage in conversation with us.

"Well, I think a toast is in order," said Mr. Weasley proudly, after everyone had received a drink. "To Ron and Hermione, the new Gryffindor prefects!" Everyone raised their goblets, though I couldn't help but notice Harry did so somewhat reluctantly. Maybe he really wanted to be a prefect, but Ron beat him.

After a few minutes, Sirius pulled Percy away from our little corner and spared a conversation. Percy doubled over in laughter and eventually even showed Sirius how his sword could change form. Annabeth stared at the long-haired man angrily, like she was mad he had taken Percy from her. The nameless bird balanced on her shoulder imitated Annabeth's look.

I glanced around the small crowd, my eyes first resting on Mrs. Weasley bobbing from person to person, apparently having something to say to all of them. She especially stood out tonight because of the green hat perched on top of her red hair.

I searched the room with my eyes until I found who I was looking for. Harry was talking to that weird peg-legged wizard with the fake eye that whizzed around so quickly it made me nauseous. But I wasn't focused on the creepy eye. I wasn't even focused on the wizard who supposedly killed the Dark Lord when he was a baby. No, I was focused on his soul. It felt like he had something extra, a part of a different soul that had latched onto his like a leech.

My thoughts were interrupted by a small explosion set off by the red-headed twins. Annabeth's owl began to flap around the room, startled by the sound. Mrs. Weasley marched over to the twins, ready to yell at them to her heart's content, when _WHACK!_ The owl crashed strait into The woman's head, taking the green hat with it. Almost everyone laughed (except Mrs. Weasley, who looked upset that she had been interrupted from telling her boys off), but I stared at the bird almost transfixed. The green hat balanced lopsided on the silvery-white owl's head.

"Looks just like B-" I stopped short, but Annabeth and Percy both knew what I was about to say.

"Guys," Annabeth said, "I think I know what I want to name my owl."

"Bianca," we all said in unison.

**Sooooo this one's a little shorter than the last one, but next chapter is the Hogwarts Express! I need you guys to tell me your opinion on the sorting. Should I sort them all into Gryffindor for storyline purposes, or should I sort Annabeth and Percy into the houses I really think they should be in and separate Percabeth? Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow, 25 reviews already? You guys are awesome!**

Percy P.O.V

I had the nightmare again.

But this time, the ancient voice taunted me. "Come hero, come to die. You will not cheat me again; my mistress will make sure of that. And bring the girl. I have a _special _surprise for her."

"Annabeth?" I asked the disembodied sound. It hissed loudly at her name, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "What do you want with her?" Suddenly, the skeletons reached out to me again, and I was wide awake with the unanswered question lingering at the back of my mind.

Seconds later, the old door creaked open. "Who's there?" I asked, instinctively reaching my hand to where my pocket would usually be.

"Just me," whispered Mrs. Weasley. She backed into the room, pointing her wand at three large, dark masses. I found these old trunks upstairs, I thought you lot might need them to pack," she said, carefully setting them down at the foot of each of our beds.

"Er, thanks," I said, still only half-awake.

"You had better wake your friends up. We're leaving for King's Cross in an hour."

"What is King's Cross?" I asked, but Mrs. Weasley had already left. So far, I'd had two questions today that remained answerless. I wondered how high the tally would get before the day had ended.

Nico P.O.V.

"Through the _wall_?! Are you _crazy?!_" I asked, almost shouting.

Mrs. Weasley looked around frantically, hoping that no one had heard me. "Yes, that's right," she replied. Wizards I could deal with. Magic houses I could deal with. I could even deal with that bloke Sirius, who apparently could turn from a human to a dog at will. But asking me to run through a solid wall without using shadow travel? Insane. "Fred and George, you first," she urged. The twin gingers walked up to the supposed 'Platform 9 and three quarters' and casually leaned up against it. In an instant, they had vanished, trolleys and all.

"Well," said Percy, "Let's get this over with." He closed his eyes, pushing the cart carrying his trunk ahead of him and where the solid wall should've stopped him, he vanished. Annabeth shrugged and did the same. Not wanting to be left alone, I followed her.

The platform on the other side looked exactly the same as all the others except for two things: The station was packed full of people wearing robes and pointed hats, waving wands and carrying owls, and a giant train labeled 'Hogwarts Express' belched steam and proudly waited for it passengers.

"All aboard," I muttered, and Percy, Annabeth and I boarded the steam engine.

Harry P.O.V.

I groaned as Cho closed the door to our compartment. I would've liked Cho to discover me sitting with a group of very cool people laughing at a joke he had just told, not with Neville and Loony Lovegood, holding a toad and covered head-to-toe in Stinksap.

The only person who wasn't dripping in the rancid-smelling liquid was Annabeth; she had ducked behind Percy just in time.

"Thanks," she said. "I owe you one." Then she kissed him on the cheek, realizing too late that all she would get was a face of the Stinksap. Nico laughed, and she glared at him.

"Look, we can get rid of this easily," said Ginny, pulling out her wand. "_Scourgify_!"

The Stinksap vanished.

We sat in silence for a while. Luna read her magazine upside-down, Neville tried to keep Trevor from hopping all over his Pumpkin Pasties, and I carefully surveyed my Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans so that I wouldn't accidentally try a vomit one. Percy and Annabeth started whispering in hushed voices. Percy's brows were furrowed together, and it looked as if Annabeth was trying to console him of something.

"Worried about the sorting?" I guessed.

Annabeth looked up suddenly. "How did you know?"

"I was, too, on my first day," I replied.

Percy turned to Annabeth. "What if you get put in that bird-paw place, Wise Girl?"

"You mean Ravenclaw?" I asked.

Luna looked up at the name of her house, singing _wit beyond measure is life's greatest treasure_.

"Don't worry," I said. "Hermione's probably the smartest person I know, and she's in Gryffindor."

The couple didn't seem to be paying much attention to me. "What about you?" Annabeth asked. "What if you get put in Hufflepuff? I mean, they are the loyal ones, and your fatal flaw…" she trailed off.

"Fatal flaw?" I asked.

"Nothing," Percy said, a little too quickly. "So, who's this flannel guy? Did he like invent pajamas or something?" he said, trying to change the subject.

I spent much of the next hour trying to explain to Percy who Nicolas Flamel was (he had discovered the wizard on the back of his first Chocolate Frog card) and waiting anxiously for Ron and Hermione to arrive.

Percy P.O.V.

After what felt like hours of stressing over sorting, trying to trick Nico into eating a pepper flavored jelly bean, and learning why Harry, Ron and Hermione hate Draco Malfoy so much, the train finally pulled up to a stop.

"You lot can leave your trunks on the train. They usually collect the first years' things and put them in the dormitories," Ron said. "'I reckon you should find Hagrid."

"Who?" Annabeth asked.

"Hagrid always take the first years across the lake. Trust me, you can't miss him," Hermione explained.

When we had all departed the train, the only person calling for first years was a short woman with a severe haircut.

"You're Hagrid?" I asked, openmouthed.

The woman looked offended. "Of course not! My name is Professor Grubby-Plank. You would do well to learn my name before our first class Mister…"

"Jackson," I supplied.

She looked me over. "Ah, you must be one of those exchange students Dumbledore warned me about."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nico asked.

"Come along now, into the boat you go. We are on a very tight schedule," she said, ushering us into the tiny water craft before pushing out boat out onto the lake.

**Sorry this one changed POVs a lot and that most of it was just fillers. Next chapter, the demi-gods get sorted! Yay! Review, please.**


	9. Chapter 9

Annabeth P.O.V.

I was terrified.

Want me to face a dragon? No problem. Fight a hydra? Easy. Take on a grown Cyclops with just my knife? I can do that. But standing in front of hundreds of students watching my every move, not knowing if I would get separated from Percy, _my _Percy, was terrifying.

Under normal circumstances, I would be in awe of the architectural beauty of the Great Hall. The ceiling was enchanted to reflect the sky outside, so tonight, I felt as if I were looking straight up to the clear heavens. For a brief moment, I even found Zoë's constellation. Giant stone columns lined the sides of the room, supporting the beautiful ceiling. Four grand tables in the center of the room were lined with golden plates and goblets. Huge winged creatures- snakes, eagles, badgers, and lions- held glowing lanterns. The strangest thing was the candles; hundreds of the tiny lights floated in mid-air, illuminating the room.

Just then, a older woman with her hair pulled back tightly into a bun and wearing square glasses brought out a musty, brown hat and a stool, setting them down in front of the line of new students. I waited patiently for something to happen or for someone to explain why we were all staring at a dirty, old hat.

All of a sudden, one of its folds began to move, and I could hear singing.

_In times of old when I was new  
And Hogwarts barely started  
The Founders of our noble school  
Thought never to be parted:  
United by a common goal,  
They had the selfsame yearning  
To make the world's best magic school  
And pass along their learning.  
"Together we will build and teach!"  
The Four good friends decided  
And never did they dream that they  
Might someday be divided,  
For were there such friends anywhere  
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?  
Unless it was the second pair  
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?  
So how could it have gone so wrong?  
How could such friendships fail?  
Why, I was there and so can tell  
The whole sad, sorry tale.  
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those  
Whose ancestry is purest."  
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose  
Intelligence is surest."  
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those  
With brave deeds to their name,"  
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,  
And treat them just the same."  
These differences caused little strife  
When first they came to light,  
For each of the four founders had  
A House in which they might  
Take only those they wanted, so,  
For instance, Slytherin  
Took only pure-blood wizards  
Of great cunning, just like him,  
And only those of sharpest mind  
Were taught by Ravenclaw  
While the bravest and the boldest  
Went to daring Gryffindor,  
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,  
And taught them all she knew,  
Thus the Houses and their founders  
Retained friendships firm and true.  
So Hogwarts worked in harmony  
For several happy years,  
But the discord crept among us  
Feeding on our faults and fears.  
The Houses that, like pillars four,  
Had once held up our school,  
Now turned upon each other and,  
Divided, sought to rule.  
And for a while it seemed the school  
Must meet an early end,  
What with dueling and with fighting  
And the clash of friend on friend  
And at last there came a morning  
When old Slytherin departed  
And though the fighting then died out  
He left us quite downhearted.  
And never since the founders four  
Were whittled down to three  
Have the Houses been united  
And they once were meant to be.  
And now the Sorting Hat is here  
And you all know the score:  
I sort you into Houses  
Because that is what I'm for,  
But this year I'll go further,  
Listen closely to my song:  
Though condemned I am to split you  
Still I worry that it's wrong,  
Though I must fulfill my duty  
And must quarter every year  
Still I wonder whether sorting  
May not bring the end I fear.  
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,  
The warning history shows,  
For our Hogwarts is in danger  
From external, deadly foes  
And we must unite inside her  
Or we'll crumble from within  
I have told you, I have warned you.  
Let the sorting now begin _

The Great Hall fell into a stunned silence. I didn't know if it was because a hat had just sung them a song (although, in this magic world, I'd seen weirder things), or if it was because of _what _the hat had sung about.

My thoughts were interrupted when the woman with the square glasses shouted, "Adams, Erica!"

A startled first year shuffled forward, almost tripping over her own feet, and sat on the stool. The woman placed the hat on her head.

She sat for almost a minute, still trembling, before the hat shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"

_That's it? _I wondered. I don't know what I had been expecting- perhaps some sort of spell we had to cast, or obstacle we needed to pass. Certainly not an old hat that would shout your destination to the whole student body.

After what felt like just a few seconds, but also the longest hour of my life, the woman called, "Chase, Annabeth!" I walked forward, hoping I looked a lot more confident than I felt.

I sat as straight and tall as I could on the stiff wooden stool, and the woman placed the hat on my head.

_Hm, _a voice said, _I see much wisdom in you. Ravenclaw would do you well._

I almost jumped when I realized that, not only was the hat talking to me, but it could really tell who I was. Then another idea occurred to me: If the hat could speak to me, could I speak back?

_Please listen! I'm brave, too, I could go in Gryffindor!_ I pleaded with the hat.

_Yes, I do see that you have done many heroic deeds… Why is your desire to be in Gryffindor so strong? _It asked me.

_There's a boy, Harry Potter, in Gryffindor. Dumbledore assigned me and my friends to protect him ._I replied, praying that it would understand.

_And that is a very brave thing to do, indeed. I suppose, if you're sure, it must be "_GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted the last word to the whole hall, and I could hear one of the tables erupt into cheers.

I breathed a sigh of relief and shakily made my way to the Gryffindor table, taking a seat next to Hermione, who smiled at me.

_Now it's up to you, Seaweed Brain._

Nico P.O.V.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted, and I let out a sigh of relief for Annabeth.

The woman holding the list and calling the students up glanced down at her parchment and then announced, "Di Angelo, Nico!" I wasn't very nervous for the sorting, but I did pray to my dad that I would be put with at least one of my friends.

I walked up to the stool, trying my best to ignore all of the staring eyes. I hated being the center of attention. The woman placed the old hat on top of my head.

_A wizard born for the Dark Arts… You would do well in Slytherin, _muttered a voice in the back of my mind. I glanced around the hall in confusion, looking for the source of the sound.

_But, _it continued, _your heart is too pure. Not Hufflepuff, your old grudges may one day intrude on your loyalty. _I remembered Bianca telling me that holding grudges was a fatal flaw of Hades' kids.

_Not wise enough for Ravenclaw. _I was slightly offended, but brushed it off. If Annabeth couldn't even make it into Ravenclaw, there was no way I would be able to stand it there.

_You have much bravery, and soon you will need it. _"GRYFFINDOR!"

Annabeth P.O.V.

_Two down, one to go, _I thought when the sorting hat announced Nico's house. I clapped louder than anyone else and congratulated him when he sat down, but my mind was focused entirely on Percy. I prayed to every god I knew, even the ones I didn't like (*cough* Hera *cough*), begging them not to separate Percy and me. Of all the cruel things they'd ever done, that would be the worst by far.

I sat somewhat patiently through several more sortings, when at last "Holcomb, Zach" had been sorted into "SLYTHERIN!", and the woman announced, "Jackson, Perseus!"

He walked forward to the stool, glancing down. Our eyes met for a split second and I tried to smile reassuringly. It probably looked more like a grimace, though.

My heart pounded. _This is it, _I thought as the woman set the hat on top of his head. She had barely let go when it screamed, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

And then my heart shattered.

Percy P.O.V.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" yelled the talking hat.

_No, _said a small, weak voice in the back of my head. _No!_

The lady with the square glasses made a move to take the hat off my head.

It wouldn't budge.

She tried again. Stuck.

"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded. "We still have several new students left to sort. I don't want to see any more of this foolishness."

"What foolishness would you like to see?" I muttered, disheartened that the hat hadn't put me in Gryffindor with Annabeth and Nico. The Great Hall erupted into laughter, but the woman glared hard at me. "Sorry, sorry," I muttered again, and yanked at the hat.

_Hm, perhaps I spoke too quickly, _said a voice in the back of my mind.

I looked around confused. "Who said that?"

"Maybe it was the hat, Mr. Jackson. Listen, it might tell us a better way to get it off your head without shaving all your hair off!" the woman said. "Dumbledore, help!"

The old man just smiled. At that precise moment, the hat screamed once again, "GRYFFINDOR!"

I gave one great tug, and the hat flew off my head easily. About half of the people at the Gryffindor table clapped, looking almost as confused as I felt.

"Well, Mr. Jackson," said the bearded man from across the hall, "I suppose you'd better have a seat with your new house members."

I stood still for a few seconds, wondering which table I should go to. Then I decided that it wasn't even a choice and that I should hurry up and sit by Annabeth before the hat changed its mind again.

**Bet you guys weren't expecting that! Review please.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I am so so so so so so so so so sorry I haven't uploaded in like, forever! My computer had a heart attack and I lost EVERYTHING. I wrote this as quickly as I could so I could upload something for you guys. I'm not sure if I quite like it yet… I might come back in later and change a few things…**

Ron P.O.V.

Percy walked briskly down to the Gryffindor table, as if he were scared it would start shouting house names again.

"Blimey," I said when he sat down, "What happened up there P-percy?" I stuttered over his name and I couldn't help thinking of my rotten traitor of a brother.

Before he could answer, Annabeth grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him into a kiss. The way she always took charge like that kind of scared me. Nico had told me a few days ago that she was wicked smart- like _Hermione _smart. That intimidated me, too. The young boy mimed gagging behind Annabeth's back and muttered, "Get a room."

Percy pulled away and said, "We did it, we're together."

"So, what did happen up there?" Harry restated my question.

For the first time, Percy seemed to notice that Harry, Hermione and I (along with half of the rest of the students in the Great Hall) were staring at him.

"Er," he began, blushing furiously, "I'm not really sure. It just… got stuck. Like, I couldn't pull it off. Honest, I didn't do anything to it."

"Did it… say anything before it sorted you?" Annabeth asked.

"Say anything? No, not really," he replied.

I looked longingly at the golden plates sitting in front of me. It's not that I had lost interest in the whole Percy/hat situation, but I really wanted the sorting to finish so that the feast would begin.

I jumped, feeling a light tap on my shoulder. "Didn't mean to startle you, mate," said Seamus. "How was your holiday?" he asked, but I could tell he wasn't paying much attention to me. His eyes kept darting over to the blonde girl sitting across the table from me, then snapping back as if he was afraid of getting caught for staring.

"Fine," I replied, but I don't think he heard me. "She has a boyfriend, you know."

That got his attention. "W-what?" he began sputtering. "Er, I mean…" he trailed off.

Dumbledore finally stood up with the traditional smile plastered on his wrinkled face after "Zellar, Rose" became a "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Annabeth P.O.V.

I was in a great mood- I had a full feeling in my stomach from the amazing feast after the sorting and Percy was walking up the stairs next to me, following Harry (who looked angry for some reason) to our dormitories. He stopped in front of a portrait of a woman. Since I was in such high spirits, I decided to be nice and think of her as stout rather than downright fat.

"Um, are we lost?" Percy asked.

"'Course not," replied Harry. "But… no one told me the password…"

"Great," muttered Nico.

"No password, no entry!" exclaimed the portrait.

"I know it!" yelled a dark-haired boy running up to Harry. "Hey," he said, turning to me, "you sat with us on the train. Are you all fifth years?" He looked at Nico, who was noticeably shorter than Percy and I. Honestly, I sometimes forget that the kid is only twelve years old. He seems much more mature than that.

"I'm a second year," Nico said.

"Oh," replied Neville. "Harry, you'll never guess what the password is! There's no way I'm going to forget it this year." He turned to the lady. "_Mimbulus mimbletonia!"_

"Right this way, dears," smiled the stout woman. The painting swung out towards us to reveal a large room, furnished with plump armchairs with pillows and old tables, with a fireplace on the wall opposite from us. All the decorations were scarlet and golden.

Several people were milling around. Most of them looked about my age, but I did see the Weasley twins pinning something up onto a notice board across the room.

Suddenly an excited looking girl with dirty blonde hair bounded over to us.

"Hi," she said, staring strait a Percy, as if I wasn't even there. "My name's Lavender Brown. What's yours?" she asked, stepping closer toward my boyfriend than I would've preferred.

"Percy," replied the oblivious boy next to me.

"That's a really cool name. It's _great _to meet you," she said, smiling flirtatiously.

I rolled my eyes and stepped in front of Percy. "Hi Lavender, my name's Annabeth. I'm Percy's girlfriend."

Surprise and disappointment flickered across her face for a split second before she turned and trudged away.

She muttered something that sounded vaguely like _dumb blonde_, and I had to resist the urge to whip my knife out and gut her like a fish.

My anger faded almost instantaneously when Percy gently grabbed my arm and guided me to a small couch at the back of the room. He plopped down, then grabbed my waist and pulled me next to him.

"Finally, some peace and quiet," he muttered, glancing around the now empty room.

I looked at Percy, who was gazing off into the fireplace. In the low lighting, I couldn't help admiring how handsome he really was. His skin was lightly tanned from spending all his time at camp outdoors, and I could make out the faint lines around his mouth from smiling that he shared with his father. He had a strong jawline and beautiful green eyes that matched the shade of the sea perfectly. And then there were his lips. The best and only word I could think of to describe them was _amazing_.

I sat there, lost in his face until he said gently, "You're staring at me again." I could feel the blush creeping up my cheeks and looked away quickly, but he just smiled and cupped my face in his hands so that I was forced to look him in the eyes. "I never said I minded."

I laughed softly before he leaned his face in toward mine. Our lips met, and all I could feel for the next few seconds was bliss. He tasted like salt and sea breeze (which I didn't know had a taste until I kissed him).

His arms wrapped around my waist as I pulled away from the kiss. Laying my head down on his chest, I said softly, "We're together. That's all that matters." My eyes closed and I fell into a peaceful sleep.

**Percabeth fluff, yay! Sorry this chapter isn't very exciting, but I NEEDED to upload something! I promise I'm going to keep uploading every couple of days. Review!**


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